Door-spring



(Model.)

'I'. BUTLER".l Door Spring. No. 242,429. Patented June 7, 1881.

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a UNrTED STATES PATENT Ormea..

THEODORE BUTLER., 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO.

Doon-SPRING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 242,429, dated June 7, 1881.

Application tiled February 12, 1881.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, THEoDoRE BU'rLnR, of Gleveland,in the county ofGuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and Improved Door-Spring; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and complete description thereof.

The nature of this invention relates to a door spring; and the object of the saine is to give to the spring more or less torsion, thereby regnlating its tension according to the weight of the door to be opened or closed, to which the spring may be applied.

For the above-specified purpose the device consists of a journal-shaft having in four opposite sides a groove adapted to receive a lug projecting from the inner side of a socket, in which the shaft rotates, for locking the same, in order to retain the torsion of the spring for either closing or holding open the door, as may be required.

A more full and complete description of the invention is as follows, reference being had to the accompan yin gdrawin gs for illustrating the same, and making a part of this specification.

In said drawings, Figure l represents a side view of the journal shaft detached from the socket. Fig. 2 is a horizontal transverse section of the journal-shaft and socket. Fig. 3 is a top view. Fig. 4 is afront View of the socket and shaft having attached thereto the spring.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several views.

A represents the journal-shaft above alluded to. Said shaft has in each of four opposite sides a groove, B, adapted to receive the lu g C, Fig. 2, projecting from the inner side of the socket D, in which the shaft is fitted closely, but free to turn therein for giving torsion to the spring E, attached to the lower end of the shaft, as seen in Fig. 4. rI he lower end of the spring is secured to a plate or bracket, E', whereby the spiral spring is made fast to a door.

It will be observed, on examination of Fig. 2, that the shaft A does not fill the socket in direction of the line the bore of the socket being greater in that direction than the diameter at a right angle therewith. rJhis difference in the diameters of the bore of the socket is to allow the4 shaft to be moved forward toward (Model.)

the letter wf, so that it may become disengaged from the lug C, which is shown in said ligure as lodged in one of the grooves Bof the shaft. This engagement of the lu g and shaft prevents the resiliency of the spring from turning the shaft in the socket-that is to say, the torsion of the spring is retained by locking the shaft and lug together, as seen in Fig. 2.

G is a movable plate, placed upon the upper 'end of the socket, and through which the end F of the shaft projects, as seen in Fig. 4. Said projecting end F of the shaft serves as a handie whereby to pull forward the shaft from its engagement with the lug. The plate G slides with the forward movement of the shaft, and its purposeis only to cover the top of the socket and make the device neat in appearance.

A pin, a, Figs. l and 4, is inserted through the shaft above the plate to prevent the plate from coming oii, and also to lock the shaft and socket together.

The practical operation of the above described device is as follows: The upper end of the springis secured, bymeans ofthe top socket, to the door by screws inserted in the holes b. The lower end of the spring is fixed to the side casing ofthe door by means of the lower socket, to which the spring is made fast. That the spring may operate for closing or opening the door, torsion is given to it by inserting the end of some appropriate implement in the hole c, by which, on drawing forward the shaft from its engagement with the lug C, said shaft can be turned in the socket in eitherdirection to give the necessary torsion to the spring to obtain the required tension for opening or closing the door, as the case may be. The required ten sion once obtained, the shaft is then pushed back, that the groove B may engage the lug C, as shown in Fig. 2. The tension ofthe spring will hold the shaft from slipping from its engagement with the said lug, thereby holding the two parts securely locked to each other, as seen in Fig. 2.

It will be obvious from the above that more or less tension can be given the spring to cause the door to move quickly or slowly, and that the torsion of the spring can be changed to hold the door closed or open.

Other shaped springs may be used in combi roo nation with the locking device than n spiral one, and the same device may be used on other springs than doorspring's.

What I claim as my invention, and desire 5 to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The eombin ation of'a shaft, A, having in fon r opposite sides thereof e groove, oblong` socket C, in which the said shaft is inserted and secured, having it lng projecting from the inner ro side thereof eorresponding` to the grooves, for

locking the shaft by its engagement with the said grooves or groove, and :L bracket for attaching the sprin g to the door, constructed and arranged to operate for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature 15 in presence of two Witnesses.

THEODORE BUTLER. Witnesses:

J. H. BURRIDGE, XVM. KERR. 

